Room for One More
by Erin T. Aardvark
Summary: There's a new baby in the Sneer household, and four year old Forest becomes jealous
1. Announcement

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: A few notes before we begin. This is my first new Raccoons story since I took the others down on Secondly, this is my first attempt at writing for Bentley and Lisa Raccoon. Just giving you a bit of a warning ahead of time. Also it should be noted that in chapters 4 and 5, Cedric is a bit out of character. Well, at least I think he is . . . . _

It was just a normal June afternoon in the Evergreen Forest. Bert and Lisa were pedaling their bicycles through town, just enjoying the sunny day. Suddenly, Lisa glanced over at Bert, and smiled sneakily.

"Last one to Willow's buys the root beer!" she shouted, and pedaled off as fast as she could.

"Hey!" Bert shouted, as he started pedaling after her. "No fair, you got a head start!"

Lisa just laughed. She knew she could beat Bert to Willow's Store easily. Bert was a bit out of shape, and by the time he finally caught up to Lisa, she was already standing outside the store.

"I win," she said.

"I let you win," was Bert's breathless reply. Lisa just laughed, and she and Bert went inside. They started towards the beverage selection when they found Sophia putting a box of chocolate cake mix in a basket.

"Hey, Sophia!" Bert called. "What's happening?"

"Oh . . . ." Sophia said, pausing for a moment. She also grabbed a can of chocolate frosting. "Not much."

"So how's the Birthday Boy?" Lisa asked, smiling. What she meant by "The Birthday Boy" was Sophia's son, Forest. He was going to be four years old in a week.

"He's fine," Sophia said. She picked up some chocolate pudding, and put it in her basket. Then she put a package of chocolate cookies in there as well.

"Giving Forest a pretty big chocolate feast there," Bert said. "Chocolate cake, chocolate pudding, chocolate cookies . . . . he'll think he died and went to Heaven!"

"Well, the pudding and the cookies are for Cedric," Sophia explained. "I have to prepare him for the news."

"What news?" Lisa asked.

"Well, I just came from the doctor's," Sophia said, putting a bottle of apple juice in her basket. "I had a physical today, and . . . . well, Forest is going to be getting an unexpected birthday present, but it won't be here for nine months."

"Nine months?" Bert asked. Then it sank in. "Sophia, you're pregnant again?"

"That's what the doctor told me," Sophia said. "I'm not sure how Cedric, Forest, and Mr. Sneer are going to take the news, so I'm planning on softening them up first."

"If I know Cyril, he'll need a _lot_ of softening up!" Bert joked. Lisa nodded her head in agreement.

"I should warn you, though," she said, "Forest might take it worse than Mr. Sneer. Good luck."

"Thanks," Sophia said. She knew she was going to need all the luck she could get.

Meanwhile at the Sneer mansion, Cyril was on the phone with his stock broker while Cedric was going over the books. He had Forest in his lap, and Forest was working on a drawing with his crayons. Cedric finished up the books just as Forest finished his drawing.

"Look, Daddy!" he shouted, happily. "I drew us! There's you, and Mommy, and me, and Gampa, and Snag, and the Pigs!"

"That's great, Forest," Cedric replied, looking at the picture. Being only three-going-on-four, Forest wasn't the world's best artist, and his drawings barely looked like anything, but Cedric could tell it was supposed to be the Sneer family (plus the Pigs).

"We're a big sorta happy family," Forest said.

"Sort of happy?" Cedric repeated.

"Uh huh. Gampa's never happy."

"What do you mean stocks are down?!" Cyril shouted into the phone. "Well, get them back up! I don't pay you to lose me money!"

"See?" Forest asked as Cyril slammed the phone down. Forest picked up another drawing he did of Cyril. Cyril had an angry expression, and there were red, orange, and yellow zig zags all over the drawing.

"This is Gampa yelling," he said.

"I think you've captured him very well, Forest," Cedric replied, trying to stifle his laughter. Cyril looked over at the drawing, and glared at his son and grandson.

"Very funny, Forest," he said, sarcastically. "Veeerrrry funny!"

"I'm home!" Sophia called out from the main hallway. Forest jumped off Cedric's lap, and ran to the door.

"Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!" he shouted. Sophia laughed, picked him up, and gave him a kiss.

"Hi, sweetie," she said. "What have you been doing today?"

"Drawing. Wanna see?"

"Okay. Let me put the groceries away first."

Sophia put Forest down, and he took off like a shot towards Cyril's office where he left his pictures. Cedric came out and helped Sophia put away the groceries.

"Chocolate cookies and chocolate pudding," he said. "What's this for, Sophia?"

"Oh . . . . nothing," Sophia said.

"Sophia, you don't buy chocolate pudding and chocolate cookies at the same time unless something's going on. I know you had a doctor's appointment today. Did something happen?"

"Yes, but I can't tell you what, yet."

"Why not?"

"I'm waiting until after dinner."

Cedric was about to ask again when Cyril came into the kitchen. He went to the table, and sat down for a minute.

"Let me tell you two something," he said. "Don't rely on the stock market."

"Gotcha, Pop," Cedric replied. Then he took the cake mix out of the bag, as well as the frosting.

"That for Forest's birthday?" Cyril asked.

"Yes," Sophia said with a nod. Then she sighed. "They grow up so fast, don't they?"

"I'm glad they do," Cyril grumbled. "Forest is finally out of diapers, and he doesn't have to scream his head off anymore when he wants something. The last thing I need is another screaming baby around here!"

Sophia stopped what she was doing for a moment, and swallowed. This sure wasn't going to be easy breaking the news to Cyril. She decided to just go ahead and lay the news on him, and Cedric. She opened the chocolate pudding, and took two cups out of the package. She handed one to Cedric, and the other to Cyril.

"Have some chocolate," she said.

"What are you up to, Sofa Girl?" Cyril asked. He took the aluminum lid off the pudding cup, grabbed a spoon, and began eating the pudding. Cedric started as well.

"Well, uhhh, I hope you're not getting too used to things the way they are now, Mr. Sneer," Sophia said, nervously.

"Why?"

"Well, because the last thing you need around here is going to be arriving in about nine months."

Both Cedric and Cyril performed a classic cartoon spit take the minute Sophia said that, and they stared at her.

"Sophia, you're gonna have a baby?" Cedric asked. "That's great!"

"That's terrible," Cyril grumbled. "Just terrible! Two grandchildren. Now they'll all really think I'm getting old!"

Cedric and Sophia didn't respond. If they did, Cyril would have their heads. Luckily they didn't have to say anything. Forest came into the kitchen, and saw the chocolate pudding on the counter.

"Mommy, can I have some pudding, please?" he asked.

"Sure," Sophia said, taking a third pudding cup and opening it. Then she handed it to Forest, as well as a spoon. Immediately Forest began shoveling it in. He loved chocolate pudding almost as much as Cedric did.

"What do you say, Forest?" Cedric said.

"Oh yeah," Forest said, after he swallowed. "Thank you, Mommy."

"Well, aren't you going to tell him?" Cyril asked.

"Tell me what?" Forest asked. Cedric and Sophia glanced at each other.

"Forest, we have a surprise for you," Sophia said. "I'm going to have a baby."

"You'll be getting a new little brother or sister," Cedric said.

"Oh," Forest said. And that was it. He finished his pudding cup, handed it and the spoon back to Sophia, and then walked off. This was something Cedric and Sophia did not expect.

"He took that well," Cyril replied. Then he stood up and left the kitchen.


	2. How Did the Baby Get in Mommy's Tummy?

Early the next morning, Forest ran into Cedric and Sophia's bedroom, climbed up onto the bed, and began jumping on it.

"Mommy, Daddy, Mommy, Daddy!" he shouted.

"What is it, Forest?" Cedric groaned, not bothering to sit up.

"Did Mommy have the baby yet?" Forest asked. "Do I get my little brother for my birthday?"

"Forest!" Sophia shouted, laughing.

"It doesn't work that way, Forest," Cedric said, yawning.

"When will I get my little brother?" Forest asked.

"In nine months," Sophia said.

"Nine months?" Forest asked. "How long is that?"

"Until March," Cedric replied.

"How come I gotta wait so long?" Forest asked.

"Because that's how long it takes for the baby to grow in Mommy's tummy," Cedric said.

"Is the baby in Mommy's tummy right now?"

"Yep."

Forest was quiet for a moment. He looked over at Sophia, and then tapped Cedric's shoulder.

"Daddy?" he asked.

"Yes, Forest?" Cedric said, sleepily.

"How did the baby get in Mommy's tummy?"

"Sophia, it's for you."

And with that, Cedric rolled over and went back to sleep. Of course, Forest wasn't satisfied. He turned towards Sophia, and tapped her shoulder.

"Mommy?" he asked. "How did the baby get in your tummy?"

"Forest, it's too early," Sophia said. "Go back to bed."

Forest got down off the bed, and went back into his room. Later in the morning, he went down to Cyril's office. Cyril was going over contracts and things when he walked in. Forest went over to his grandfather, and climbed up on his lap.

"Hi, Gampa," he said.

"What is it, Forest?" Cyril asked, not even looking at his grandson. "I've got a million things to do today."

"Daddy said the new baby is growing in Mommy's tummy," Forest said.

"Yes?"

"Do you know how the baby got into Mommy's tummy?"

Cyril swallowed his cigar just then. He couldn't believe the words that had just come out of his grandson's mouth. How in the world was Cyril supposed to explain something like _this_ to a three-year-old?! Of course, since Cyril went and swallowed his cigar, he had somewhat of a coughing fit. Forest jumped off his lap, and just watched.

"Go ask the Pigs!" Cyril shouted, while hacking. Forest shrugged, and left his grandfather's office. He found the Pigs in the kitchen. He knew their names, and he knew their voices, but he could not tell one Pig from the other by looking at them.

"Lloyd!" he shouted. This is what he always did when they were all in the room. That way, he'd know he'd get the right Pig.

"Yeah, Forest?" Lloyd asked, as he and his brothers looked over at Forest.

"You know Mommy's having a baby, right?"

"Yep. We sure do."

"How did the baby get in Mommy's tummy?" Lloyd was a little taken aback at that. He wasn't sure how to answer.

"Uhh, well, gee, Forest, uhh . . . ." he stammered. "Uhh, you want to handle this, Floyd?"

"Oh, uhh, gee . . . ." Floyd said. "I mean . . . . uhh . . . . Boyd, you want to field this one?"

"Go ask your mom," Boyd said, and he and his brothers ran off before Forest could say anything.

Forest was starting to get a little frustrated. Later in the day, Cedric took him to the Raccoondominium. They gave Ralph and Melissa the good news.

"Mommy's gonna have a baby!" Forest shouted the minute he got inside.

"I know, Bert told us," Ralph said. "He ran into your mommy at Willow's yesterday."

"Isn't that exciting, Forest?" Melissa asked. "You're going to get a little brother or sister."

"Yeah, I'm gonna get a little brother!" Forest shouted, clapping his hands.

"Do you already know it's a boy, Cedric?" Bert asked.

"No, but Forest wants a brother," Cedric said. "And not a sister. Actually, most Sneers are born boys. I don't think any of them ever had a girl. All the women in the Sneer family are usually related by marriage. Pop said it's like a tradition. And if the new baby's a boy, the tradition lives on."

"What happens if it's a girl?" Bert asked.

"Pop might keel over and have a heart attack," Cedric said with a shrug.

"Uncle Bert, can I ask you something?" Forest asked.

"Sure, little buddy," Bert said. "You can ask me anything you want."

"How did the baby get in Mommy's tummy?"

Bert went pale all of a sudden. He knew kids asked that question at some point in their lives, but Bert had never been asked that question himself, and he didn't know how to answer it.

"Uhh, well . . . ." he said. "Go ask your dad."

"I already did."

"Then go ask your mom."

"I did that, too."

"Then go ask your grandpa."

"I did and he swallowed his cigar."

"Then go ask Uncle Ralph!"

And with that, Bert beat a hasty retreat outside. Forest then turned to Ralph. Ralph had heard Forest's question, and he cleared his throat.

"Well, Forest," he said. "See, it all starts when a man and a woman meet, and then they fall in love, and then they get married. Then after they're married, they start to make babies."

"How do they make the babies?" Forest asked.

"Errrrmmmm . . . . ." Ralph said, thinking it over. "Go ask Auntie Melissa!"

"Thanks a lot, Ralph," Melissa said, sarcastically. "Listen, Forest. I'll tell you some other time, okay?"

Forest groaned, and he and Cedric left the Raccoondominium. While they were walking down the road, they ran into Lisa and Bentley.

"Hi, Cedric," Lisa said. "Congratulations, by the way. Sophia told me and Bert the news yesterday."

"Thanks," Cedric said.

"Auntie Lisa?" Forest asked. "Do you and Uncle Bentley know how the baby got in Mommy's tummy?"

"Well, see, first there's this egg in the mom's stomach," Bentley said. "And then there's this tadpole thing inside the dad, and then the dad and the mom get together and . . . ."

"Bentley!" Lisa shouted, swatting her brother in the arm. "You can't tell a three-year-old _that_!"

"But that's how it's done, isn't it?" Bentley asked.

"No!" Lisa shouted. Then she knelt down to Forest's level. "Listen Forest, I don't think you should be asking that now. Wait until you're a little older, and then we'll tell you how it works."

Forest groaned again. He and Cedric went on their way to deliver the news. There was only one more person left to see, and that was Schaeffer.

"Hi, Schaeffer," Cedric said.

"Hi, Cedric," Schaeffer replied. "Hi, Forest. How's everything going?"

"Good," Cedric said.

"Mommy's gonna have a baby, Uncle Schaeffer," Forest said. "I'm gonna have a little brother in nine months! Daddy said that's how long it takes the baby to grow in Mommy's tummy."

"You seem excited about it."

"Yeah. Uncle Schaeffer, can I ask you something?"

"What is it, Forest?"

"I asked everybody, and everybody told me to ask someone else. I don't think they know, and I hope you know. How did the baby get in Mommy's tummy?"

Cedric groaned, and took off his glasses. It was obvious Forest was not going to give this up until he got a straight answer. Schaeffer thought this over carefully, sat down, and pulled Forest into his lap.

"It's like this, Forest," he said. "When a man and a woman really love each other . . . . ."

Schaeffer explained the entire process to Forest, without making it seem too disgusting, or too technical for it to go over his head. Forest listened intently. He asked various questions on the subject, and Schaeffer gave him the answers he was looking for.

"Thanks, Uncle Schaeffer," Forest said, jumping off Schaeffer's lap.

"You're welcome," Schaeffer replied. "But you shouldn't be asking questions like that all over town. You're a little young to know about this subject."

"Okay," Forest said. Cedric breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks, Schaeffer," he said. "I owe you one. I had no idea how to explain it to him!"

"It's no problem Cedric."

"One thing I'm curious about. How'd you know so much about the subject?"

"You know my kids, Julie and Tommy? Well, that's exactly what their dad told them when they asked about it."

Cedric nodded, and then went back to the Sneer mansion with Forest, glad at least _some_one explained it all to Forest before he could start asking the entire town how the baby got in his mommy's tummy.


	3. Making Room

A week went by, and it was now June 23, Forest's birthday. But Forest was far more interested in his mother's stomach than anything else.

"How do we know the baby's in your tummy, Mommy?" he asked.

"We just do," Sophia answered. "The doctors check and make sure he or she is in there."

"When will it start growing?"

"Soon."

"Right, and then she's gonna get fat," Cyril mumbled.

"Pop," Cedric said. Cyril just shrugged, and went back to his office to work.

"So any thoughts to what you're going to name the new baby?" Bert asked. "How about . . . . oh I don't know, maybe . . . . Bert?"

"Bert, didn't you ask them the same question four years ago?" Ralph asked.

"So what's wrong with wanting them to name the baby Bert?" Bert asked.

"Bert Sneer," Melissa said. Then she cringed. "Eeesh."

"I agree with Aunt Melissa," Lisa commented. "Bert Sneer sounds just plain awful!"

Bert gave them all a dirty look, and shoved a piece of cake into his mouth.

Three months went by since Sophia announced she was pregnant. The Pigs were measuring one of the spare rooms of the Sneer mansion.

"Good thing this is a big house," Cedric said. "Plenty of rooms to go around."

"Right," Sophia said. "This way, Forest won't have to share his room."

"I get my own room and my brother gets his own room," Forest said.

"That's right, sweetie," Sophia said.

"Do you guys already know it's a boy?" Lloyd asked, as he retracted his measuring tape.

"No," Cedric said. "It could be a boy, and it could be a girl, but Forest is convinced it's a boy."

"It'll be a boy," Cyril said, walking down the hall. "There has never been a girl born to the Sneers. They've all been related by marriage. Every Sneer baby has been a boy. This one will be no exception."

"How come you're so sure, Gampa?" Forest asked.

"It's tradition, Forest, my boy," Cyril said, picking up his grandson. "Why mess with it?"

"What happens if it's a girl, Mr. Sneer?" Sophia asked.

"It won't be," Cyril replied. "I guarantee it won't be a girl. It's going to be a boy. It's the Sneer tradition."

With that, Cyril took Forest downstairs, and started telling him about the whole Sneer Dynasty. Cedric sighed, and shook his head.

"Sometimes, I wonder about Pop," he said. Sophia just laughed, and she helped Cedric and the Pigs move some furniture out of the room.

A few more months went by. Sophia was beginning to look pregnant. Forest was fascinated.

"My brother's going to be a big baby!" he shouted, staring at his mommy's tummy.

"Maybe, maybe not," Sophia said, sitting down. Forest tried to climb up on her lap, but there wasn't much room.

"Your lap is shrinking, Mommy!" he shouted. Sophia just laughed.

Two days later, Cedric and Sophia returned from a doctor's appointment with a copy of Sophia's latest ultrasound. They figured it would be good for Forest to see it, so he could see what the baby was doing inside Sophia's tummy.

"Come here, Forest," Cedric said, pulling his son into his lap, and showing him the ultrasound. "This is what your brother or sister looks like right now."

"Ew," Forest said, making a face. "My brother's ugly! Is he gonna look like that when he comes out of Mommy's tummy?"

"No," Sophia said. "The baby's still growing, and we've got about four months to go before it comes."

A couple of days later, Cedric and Forest were over at the Raccoondominium, tossing around a baseball with Bert.

"So . . . ." Bert said. "Any thoughts to a name yet?"

"You never give up, do you Bert?" Cedric asked. Then he sighed. "We decided that if it's a boy, we're going to name him Sidney Albert. We haven't decided on a girl's name yet."

"You don't need to, Daddy," Forest said, throwing the ball to Bert. "Gampa says it's gonna be a boy. He said it's tradition."

Cedric just shrugged. Though he and Sophia could find out what the baby was going to be if they wanted to, they just didn't want to. They preferred to be surprised.

About a week later, Cedric, Ralph, Bert, and the Pigs were moving things down from the attic and into the new nursery. Forest saw them with parts of a crib, and stopped to watch.

"Hey, that's my crib!" he shouted.

"It was yours when you were a baby, Forest," Cedric explained. "You don't need it anymore, and the new baby will."

"Yeah, your grandpa won't let your mom and dad buy new furniture," Bert said. "He's too cheap."

Forest pouted for a minute, and followed the group into the nursery. He was a little surprised to see his old baby stuff scattered around in there. All of his old furniture, and his old toys.

"This is all my stuff," he said, pouting. Then he began whining. "Why does the baby have to have my stuff?"

"Forest, you're not a baby anymore," Ralph said. "These things are for babies."

"But it's mi-_ine_!" Forest whined, stamping his foot. Cedric kneeled down to his level and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Listen, Forest," he said, gently. "I know this stuff was yours when you were a baby, but you're a big boy now, and you don't need these things. Now, Pop won't let us buy new stuff for the new baby, so we have to give it your old things. Do you understand?"

"I guess," Forest replied, still pouting, and then walked away. Cedric sighed, and went back to work in the nursery.

The following week, Melissa and Lisa threw Sophia a baby shower. Forest kept eyeing the presents. Finally, he couldn't take it much longer, and ran to Melissa.

"Auntie Melissa, how come the baby gets all those presents when he hasn't even come out of Mommy's tummy yet?" he asked.

"Well, this is a party for the baby," Melissa said. "That's why the baby gets presents. And he or she gets presents before he or she is born so that your mommy and daddy will be prepared."

"Besides, Forest, I'll let you in on a little secret," Lisa said, coming over. "Most of the presents are clothes."

"Bor-ring!" Forest shouted, and then ran off to see what Bert was doing.

Finally, March arrived. Cedric was practically climbing the walls. He knew Sophia was due any day now. It was not only driving him crazy, but it was driving Cyril crazy as well.

"I hope you're not going to be too nervous this time around," Cyril said.

"I know Pop, I know," Cedric said. "I don't know why I'm nervous, I'm just nervous."

Finally, at six in the evening on March 10, Sophia walked up to Cedric, who was reading a book to Forest.

"Cedric," she said. "It's time."

"Time for what?" Forest asked. Cedric took him off his lap, and stood up.

"Time for Mommy to go have the baby," Cedric replied. "Pop! Hey Pop!"

"What is it, Cedric?" Cyril asked, coming out of his office.

"It's time!" Cedric shouted.

"Well then, get going," Cyril said. "Don't just stand there, Cedric!"

"Now you be a good boy for Grandpa, Forest," Sophia said, giving Forest a hug goodbye. "Daddy and I have to go to the hospital to have the baby, and then I'll see you in a few days."

"Does Daddy have to stay at the hospital too?" Forest asked.

"No, Forest," Cedric said. "I'll come back sooner, and I promise I'll call here the minute the baby arrives. I'll call to check in, too."

"Bye-bye, sweetie," Sophia said, giving Forest a kiss. "We'll be back soon."

"Be good for your grandpa, Forest," Cedric said. "Bye, Pop!"

And with that, Cedric and Sophia were off. Forest watched them pull out, and then turned to Cyril.

"How come Mommy can't have the baby here, Gampa?" he asked.

"Too messy," Cyril replied. Then he picked up the book Cedric was reading and pulled Forest into his lap, picking up where Cedric had left off. He had a feeling they were going to be in for a long wait.


	4. Surprise!

Cedric was slightly nervous over this, but not as nervous as he was when Forest had been born. Once Sophia was admitted to a room, Cedric raced to the phone and called the Raccoondominium.

"Hi, Cedric," Bert said, when he picked up. "What's new?"

"Sophia and I are at the hospital," Cedric said. "It's time."

"Yeah? We'll be right over!"

Cedric didn't think it was really necessary for Bert, Ralph, and Melissa to come over, but Bert had already hung up the phone before Cedric could say so. He just sighed, and started calling the others to let them know what was going on. He had just got off the phone with Lisa's mother, Nicole, when Bert ran over to him. Ralph and Melissa were walking in behind him, at a much slower pace.

"Is it here yet?" Bert asked.

"Bert, it's only been fifteen minutes," Cedric said. "If Sophia had the baby in fifteen minutes, we'd be on the cover of _The National Enquirer_!"

"How long did it take Forest to be born?" Bert asked.

"About fourteen hours," Cedric said. "I don't think it should take that long this time around."

"Then, I guess all we have to do is wait," Melissa said, sitting down in a chair.

"Oh, you guys don't have to stick around," Cedric said.

"Hey, we're not gonna leave ya at a time like this!" Bert shouted, giving Cedric's shoulders a squeeze. "We want to be the first ones to meet the new baby!"

Bert then sat down and grabbed a magazine from the table. Ralph and Cedric did the same thing. At least Cedric wasn't pacing around, like he had when Forest was born. Two hours later, Cedric got up and went to the phone.

"What are you doing?" Melissa asked.

"I'm going to call Forest," Cedric said. "I told him I'd check in before the baby was born, and to make sure Pop's doing okay watching him."

Ralph, Melissa, and Bert nodded. Cedric went to the phone and called the mansion. After about three rings, someone picked it up.

"Hello?" a small voice asked.

"Hi, Forest," Cedric said, smiling.

"Daddy!" Forest shouted, happily. "Did Mommy have the baby yet?"

"No, not yet. She probably won't have the baby until you're in bed."

"How come it takes so long?"

"You know, I don't know. Listen, I'm just calling to see how things were going."

"They're going okay. The Pigs made me macaroni and cheese and chocolate pudding for dinner. "

"Sounds good."

"Daddy, can I stay up until Mommy has the baby?"

"I'm afraid not, Forest. Mommy might not have the baby until really late, and you need your sleep."

"Awwww . . . ."

"Forest, you know the rules. After you've had dinner, you have to take your bath and then go to bed. Now, I want you to be a good boy, and do that, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy. I love you, and tell Mommy I love her, too."

"I love you, too, Forest. See you later."

Cedric hung up the phone, and went back to the Raccoons. Then he sat down, and waited. Three hours went by, and there wasn't any word yet. Melissa read through a magazine which featured an article about childbirth.

"It says the first stage of labor is the longest," she said. "It can last anywhere from eight to ten hours."

Bert groaned. Ralph merely uttered a "hmmm," and read the newspaper. Cedric didn't say anything. He kept staring at the clock on the wall.

Finally, at four thirty-seven in the morning, a nurse came into the waiting room.

"Mr. Sneer," she said. "Would you follow me, please?"

Cedric stood up, feeling a bit worried. Ralph, Bert, and Melissa looked at each other, and followed as well. They weren't quite sure what was going on.

Meanwhile, Cyril and the Pigs were sitting by the phone. They had been up all night, waiting for Cedric to call. Forest was up in his room, asleep.

"I wonder how long this is going to take?" Lloyd asked.

"Hopefully not as long as Forest," Cyril said. "He took fourteen hours. I've had enough waiting. I'm going to bed."

And with that, Cyril started up the stairs. Lloyd yawned, and looked at his brothers. Floyd and Boyd were both curled up on the floor, sound asleep. Lloyd yawned again, and was about to catch forty winks himself, when the phone rang, waking all three of the Pigs up, and scaring them half to death.

"Yaaahhh!" Floyd shouted.

"Who's on first?!" Boyd asked, looking around.

"Hello?" Lloyd asked as he picked up the phone. "Oh, hi, Cedric. Any news? Well, he went upstairs a few minutes ago. We were up all night waiting for you to call. No, he went to bed after your dad gave him a bath. Yeah, wait a sec. Hey, Floyd, go get the boss."

Floyd nodded and ran up the stairs to get Cyril. Lloyd went back to the phone.

"So did she have the baby?" he asked. "Uh huh . . . . uh huh . . . . really? Huh, that's interesting. Yeah. Okay. Okay, I'll tell them. Okay, see you later. Bye."

Lloyd hung up the phone just as Cyril came down the stairs.

"This had better be important," he grumbled.

"It is important, sir," Lloyd said. "That was Cedric on the phone."

"About time. Is my new grandson here yet?"

"Well, uhh, yes and no."

"What in blazes does _that_ mean?!"

"Well, it means Sophia had the baby, but . . . . . well . . . . it's a girl."

"A . . . . . a girl? A girl? A _girl_?!"

"So much for the Sneer family tradition," Boyd muttered to Floyd.

"Sofa Girl had a girl," Cyril said, practically collapsing in a chair. "There's got to be some mistake. There has never been a _girl_ born into the Sneer family! Are the doctors sure on this?"

"Well, I think they _would_ know the difference between a boy and a girl," Lloyd said.

Cyril just sat there, too stunned to move. For the past nine months, he had been expecting a grandson. Now he ended up with a granddaughter. As he sat there, Forest came down the stairs, sleepily, dragging his favorite toy, a stuffed aardvark he named Harvey, behind him by it's leg.

"Gampa, what's going on?" he asked. "I heard the phone. Was it Daddy?"

"Yes, Forest," Cyril said. "Your mother had the baby."

"Goody," Forest said. "My brother's here."

"Sister," Cyril corrected. "She had a girl."

"But I was supposed to get a brother!"

"I know. Go back to bed. I've got to get some sleep myself."

Cyril and Forest went back up the stairs, and into their rooms. But Forest couldn't get back to sleep. He was too excited. Even though he had gotten a sister instead of a brother, he was still anxious to meet her.

Cedric didn't return to the mansion until about ten. Cyril and Forest were awake, but the Pigs were down in their quarters sawing logs. When Forest heard the front door open, he made a beeline for it, and nearly tackled Cedric to the ground.

"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!" he shouted, hugging Cedric around the leg. "Where's Mommy? Where's the baby? I wanna see my sister!"

"They're still at the hospital," Cedric answered, patting Forest on the head. "We're going to go see them later."

"How come we can't go now?"

"Because I'm going to fall asleep standing up in five minutes. I've been up for at least sixteen hours straight. And Mommy needs some rest, too."

"That you, Cedric?" Cyril asked, coming into the room.

"Yeah, Pop," Cedric said, yawning. "Hi and bye. I'm gonna go get some sleep."

"Sounds good to me," Cyril agreed. Though he was awake, he could still use a little more shut eye than he had gotten the night before.

"Come on, Forest," Cedric said. "Let's go take a nap."

"I don't _want_ to take a nap," Forest complained. "I want to go see Mommy!"

"Please, Forest? I'm really tired, and Mommy is really tired. Mommy staid up all night to have the baby, and it was a lot of hard work. Mommy wants to rest a little before you see her. She doesn't want to go to sleep while you're visiting with her. I promise, we'll go see Mommy later, okay?"

"Oh, okay."

Forest yawned, and let Cedric tuck him in for a nap. He was more tired than he thought. Then Cedric trudged to his room, practically collapsed onto the bed, and fell asleep then and there. He knew he wouldn't be getting too much sleep in the coming weeks, so he had to get all he could now, before he brought the baby home.

Cyril, Cedric, Forest, and the Pigs ended up spending the entire day sleeping. No one got up until eight the next morning. But at least they were feeling refreshed. As the Pigs staid behind to take care of Cyril's business, Cyril, Cedric, and Forest were on their way to the hospital to see the baby. Bert, Ralph, and Melissa were there already.

"Uncle Bert, Uncle Bert!" Forest shouted, running for the Raccoon. "I got a little sister!"

"You sure do!" Bert said, picking up Forest and giving him a hug.

"Have you seen her yet?"

"Yep. Me, and Uncle Ralph and Auntie Melissa, we've all seen her. Now it's your turn."

Bert put Forest down, and Cedric led the way to the maternity ward. They went to the window where all the babies were. Cedric picked up Forest so he could see. A nurse wheeled one of the cribs over and Forest and Cyril got a good look at the new edition to the family. The baby aardvark was smaller than Forest had thought she would be.

"Was I that small, Daddy?" he asked.

"You sure were," Cedric said. "But I think she's smaller."

"She looks just like your mother," Melissa said to Forest.

That happened to be true. The baby had a head full of curly, dark blue hair, like Sophia's. And, like Sophia, her ears weren't visible, because of her hair.

"Poor kid," Cyril said. "Having to grow up looking like Sofa Girl."

Bert glared at Cyril, and gave him a whack in the arm. Cedric just shook his head.

"Can I go see Mommy now?" Forest asked.

"Sure," Cedric said, putting Forest down. "Let's go."

Cedric led the way down the hall. He stopped at one of the doors, opened it slightly, and knocked softly.

"Sophia?" he asked. "Are you up for some visitors?"

"Sure, Cedric," Sophia said. Cedric opened the door, and Forest practically ran inside.

"Mommy, Mommy!" he shouted. He climbed up on the bed, and Sophia gave him a big hug.

"Hi, sweetie!" she shouted. "Oh, I missed you so much!"

"I missed you, too, Mommy," Forest said. "Are you gonna come home soon?"

"In a few days," Sophia said. "The doctors want to make sure everything's all right before I can take the baby home."

"Pop and Forest saw the baby," Cedric said.

"I still want to know how this happened," Cyril said. "I was expecting a grandson, and I end up with a granddaughter."

"They can't help what it's going to turn out to be," Ralph said. Then he turned to Cedric and Sophia. "So, what's her name?"

"We decided to name her Evelyn Sylvia," Sophia said. "Evelyn after my grandmother."

"And Sylvia after Mom," Cedric said, looking at Cyril. "What do you think, Pop?"

Cyril didn't say anything. He looked a bit choked up at the thought. Since Cedric's mother had died shortly after Cedric was born, Cyril didn't like to talk about her much. Truthfully, he thought it was a nice gesture (especially since Forest's middle name was Cyril), but he didn't want to say anything about it, especially not in front of Sophia and the Raccoons. So he merely nodded.

"Evelyn Sneer," he said. "Evelyn Sylvia Sneer. Not bad. Not bad at all."

"You okay, Cyril?" Ralph asked.

"Just a little something in my eye," Cyril replied, rubbing his eye with his finger. Cedric and Sophia exchanged a glance, but they did not say a word.

"Okay, enough sentiment," Cyril said, composing himself. "Time to cut this visit short. I've got a lot of work to do, and I can't leave those bacon brains to do it all day!"

And with that, Cyril left. The others just laughed.

"Same old Cyril," Ralph commented.


	5. Little Sister

Three days later, Sophia came home with the baby. Forest was happy. Now he could spend some time with his mother. But Sophia was often tending to Evelyn, who seemed to do nothing but cry. In fact, the minute Cedric and Sophia walked through the door, Evelyn started wailing. And she was loud!

"How come she's crying?" Forest asked.

"She's probably hungry," Sophia said.

"I'll go get a bottle ready," Cedric replied, and he and Sophia went into the kitchen. Forest watched them go, and then followed.

Sophia sat down at the table. Forest climbed onto a chair and stood on it, leaning against the table. Cedric prepared a bottle of formula, and gave it to Sophia. In turn, Sophia gave the bottle to Evelyn, and she began sucking on it, practically inhaling the bottle.

"Wow, look at her go!" Cedric shouted.

Evelyn finished her bottle, and Sophia positioned her over her shoulder to burp her. After about ten seconds, Evelyn burped, and loudly as well. Cedric and Sophia were a bit taken aback, and they started laughing.

"My goodness!" Sophia exclaimed, cradling her daughter. "That was such a big burp from such a little girl!"

Forest looked on, surprised. Every time he ever burped like that, Cedric and Sophia would tell him it wasn't polite. And here they were, laughing after Evelyn practically belched. Evelyn yawned then, and settled herself into Sophia's arms. Sophia stood up, and started heading for the stairs.

"What are you gonna do now, Mommy?" Forest asked.

"I'm going to put the baby down for a nap," Sophia answered. "And then, I want you to get a book for me, and I'll read it to you, okay?"

"Yay!" Forest cheered, and he ran up to his room to look for a book.

After Sophia left the nursery, she went into Forest's room. Forest had a book all ready. It was his favorite story, about a little aardvark who was very curious about the world around him, much like Forest. Sophia pulled him into her lap, opened the book, and started to read. She didn't even get through the first sentence when Evelyn started crying.

"Hold on, Forest," she said, putting Forest down. "I have to check the baby, and then I'll be right back."

Forest sighed, and waited. And waited. And waited. Sophia was only gone for five minutes, but five minutes can seem like an eternity to a four-year-old. When she came back, she sat down, picked up the book, and started reading it again. About halfway through the story, Evelyn started crying again. Sophia sighed, and got up to check the baby. This was frustrating Forest. He hated to be interrupted in the middle of a story.

At two in the morning, Evelyn began screaming her head off. Both Cedric and Sophia groaned.

"Here we go again," Cedric moaned, slamming a pillow over his head.

Sophia got up, got the baby out of the nursery, and took her downstairs for the usual Two-In-The-Morning-Feeding. Forest got up as well, and followed her.

"Mom_myyyyyyy_!" he whined. "Why is she crying _noooowwwww_?"

"Babies cry a lot, Forest," Sophia said, as she gave Evelyn her bottle.

"Is she gonna cry all night?"

"I don't know. I had to give you a bottle at two in the morning when you were a baby. Your grandfather wasn't happy about that!"

"Then Gampa's not gonna be happy with Evelyn in the morning."

"I guess not. Now, be a good boy, and go back to bed."

Forest yawned, and went back upstairs. By eight o'clock, everyone was up. The Pigs were cooking breakfast. The baby didn't bother them the night before. Much. Cedric and Sophia were practically walking into the walls. Cedric's ears were drooping and his glasses were on lopsided. Sophia's hair was sticking out at odd angles. Forest saw them and began giggling.

"You and Mommy look funny, Daddy," he said.

"I know," Cedric said, yawning. "We didn't get much sleep last night. Evelyn kept crying."

"I hate to think what your father's going to be like this morning," Sophia commented.

And as if that were a cue, Cyril came downstairs into the dining room for breakfast.

"Good morning, good morning," he said, stretching. "What a night. I haven't slept that well in ages!"

"Are you kidding, Pop?" Cedric asked. "You're telling us that the baby didn't wake you up at all last night?"

"Not at all, Cedric."

"Well, she sure kept us up. And when Forest was her age, you complained about him waking you up at two in the morning!"

"How'd you manage this time, boss?" Lloyd asked.

"Ear plugs," Cyril said, holding up a pair of plugs that resembled corks from champagne bottles. Cedric groaned.

"How about some breakfast?" Lloyd said, trying to change the subject.

"Just put on a good, strong pot of black coffee and keep it coming," Cedric said, sleepily.

"Same for me," Sophia said, stifling a yawn. Evelyn began fussing just then. Sophia sighed, and got up.

"I'll go get a bottle," she said, and she slowly made her way to the kitchen.

Breakfast was a quiet event. Sophia was giving Evelyn her bottle, and the baby was happily sucking on it. Cyril was reading the business section of the newspaper, and checking the stock market. Forest and the Pigs were simply eating, and Cedric had fallen asleep right there at the table.

"Wake up, Cedric!" Cyril shouted, swatting his son in the head with the newspaper. "I need you to go over the books today!"

"Sure, Pop," Cedric said with a yawn. Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"I wonder who that is this early?" Floyd asked.

"Only one way to find out," Cyril said. "Go answer the door you lazy good for nothings!"

"Yes sir, yes sir, yes sir!" the Pigs shouted, and they ran for the door. When they opened it, they found Bert, Ralph, and Melissa standing there.

"Well?" Floyd asked. "What are you three doing here?"

"Good morning to you guys, too," Ralph said, sarcastically.

"We just dropped by to see the proud parents," Bert said.

"Oh hi, Bert," Cedric said, as he came into the room. "Hi, Ralph. Hi, Melissa."

"Cedric, you look awful," Melissa said.

"I know," Cedric sighed. "Evelyn was up crying mostly all night. Sophia and I took turns getting up and checking on her."

"She's loud," Forest said, as he came into the room. Sophia was right behind him, carrying Evelyn.

"Most babies are," Bert said. "Don't worry, Forest, the two o' clock feedings won't last very long."

"So what are you guys doing here?" Cedric asked.

"We just came by for some photos of the baby for the paper," Ralph said.

"Yeah, smile!" Bert shouted, and he snapped a photo of Sophia and Evelyn. Evelyn burst into tears.

"Oh Bert!" Sophia shouted. "I hope you don't plan on using _that_ photo for the paper! I'm a mess!"

"Personally, I think it's an improvement," Cyril said, coming into the room. "You've never looked lovelier."

"Very funny," Sophia said, glaring at Cyril. She gave the baby to Cedric and went upstairs to get dressed and fix her hair.

"Well, Cyril, as long as your here," Melissa said, taking the camera from Bert, "how about some photos of you and the kids for the paper?"

"Are you out of your mind?!" Cyril yelled. "If you print photos of me and my grandchildren in the newspaper, everyone will think I'm too old to run my business!"

"Not necessarily, Pop," Cedric replied. "As a matter of fact, it might improve your image."

"That's true, sir," Lloyd said. "A lot of people are turned off by your tough image. They'd be more willing to do business with you if they saw your softer side."

"And what better way to show your softer side than some pictures of you and your grandchildren?" Boyd asked, patting Forest on the head.

"Oh all right," Cyril said, giving in. He took Evelyn from Cedric, and looked at her. "But you'd better keep your sticky little fingers off my nose, missy!"

The others stifled their laughter. They were all remembering four years ago when Melissa had tried to get a photo of Cyril and Forest for the paper, and she ended up with a photo of Forest pulling on Cyril's nose. Of course, Bert had been in charge of the printer that day, and it ended up on the front page.

In anycase, Cyril pulled out a chair and sat down with Evelyn on his lap. Forest tried to get up there as well, pushing Evelyn to make room, but Cyril stopped him.

"Hold your horses, Forest," he said. "There's not enough room for both of you."

"But I wanna sit up on your lap, Gampa!" Forest whined.

"Look, Forest, there's not enough room for both of you on my lap, and I have to hold the baby. You're just going to have to live with it."

Forest pouted, and Melissa got the camera ready, but she didn't take the photo just yet.

"Come on, Forest," Ralph said. "Smile. Auntie Melissa can't take the picture with you pouting like that!"

"I don't wanna smile," Forest pouted. "I wanna sit on Gampa's lap."

"If you're not gonna smile, Forest, you can't have your picture in the paper," Bert said, figuring that would get him to smile. Forest pouted and walked away from the photo scene.

"If that's the way you feel about it, Forest," Melissa sighed, and she took a photo of Cyril and Evelyn.

Melissa took a few photos of Evelyn alone as well. Then she took some of Cedric and Evelyn. When Sophia came back downstairs, Melissa took some photos of her and Evelyn, and then took some photos of both Cedric and Sophia with Evelyn. Forest kept right on pouting throughout the whole thing.

"Forest, don't you want to be in some of these photos?" Sophia asked.

"No!" Forest shouted, pouting.

"I think that'll do it," Melissa said. "Thanks, guys."

"No problem," Cedric replied. "See you later."

The rest of the afternoon was pretty uneventful. It wasn't until the next day when things began to pick up. Thanks to the photos of Cyril and Evelyn in the Standard, he was getting several calls concerning business proposition.

"Maybe you getting married wasn't such a bad idea, Cedric," Cyril said. "As a matter of fact, these kids are the biggest thing to ever happen to my business!"

"Glad to hear it, Pop," Cedric said, a little absently. He was busy looking through Cyril's books. He was snapped out of his thoughts when the doorbell rang. A few moments later, Floyd came into the office.

"Well?" Cyril asked. "Who's at the door?"

"Lady Baden-Baden and Mr. Knox, chief," he said. "They want to see you right away! And Cedric, too."

"I wonder what this is all about?" Cedric asked, as he and Cyril went into the front hallway. They saw Lady Baden-Baden and Mr. Knox standing there, waiting for them. In front of Mr. Knox was a huge box wrapped in pink paper and tied with a pink ribbon.

"Oohhh, Mr. Sneer!" Lady Baden-Baden shouted. "We've just read the news in the Evergreen Standard, and we just _had_ to come over to give our congratulations and see the new arrival!"

"Oh, thanks, Lady Baden-Baden," Cedric said.

"Daddy!" Forest called out, running down the stairs. "Daddy, will you play with me? Mommy's taking care of the baby and I'm bored!"

"Oh, not right now, Forest," Cedric said. "I'm kind of busy. Uhh, Lady Baden-Baden, you and Mr. Knox remember my son, Forest, don't you? Forest, say hi to Lady Baden-Baden and Mr. Knox."

"Hi," Forest said, eyeing the box. "What's in the box? Is it a present for the baby? She gets all the presents these days. Don't I get a present, too?"

"Forest!" Cedric scolded. "That's not polite!"

"That's perfectly all right," Mr. Knox replied. "It's natural for children to feel a might J-E-A-L-O-U-S of a new baby."

"Well, I'll go get Sophia," Cedric said. "She's upstairs with the baby."

Cedric started up the stairs just then. Forest kept looking at the box. He didn't know what was in it, but he had a pretty good idea who it was for. A few moments later, Cedric and Sophia came down the stairs, with Evelyn.

"Hello, Lady Baden-Baden, Mr. Knox," Sophia said. "What brings you here?"

"Oooohhh, what a perfectly angelic child!" Lady Baden-Baden gushed. "She's a_dor_able! Absolutely a_dor_able! Oh, what a beautiful baby! She looks just like her mommy!"

"Unfortunately," Cyril mumbled. Cedric had heard him, and glared at him.

"Pop!" he hissed.

"Oh, Knoxy, have you ever seen a more beautiful baby?" Lady Baden-Baden went on.

"Never, my dear," Mr. Knox said. "She is a charming little lady."

"The photos in the paper simply do not do her justice," Lady Baden-Baden said. "She's precious, abso_lute_ly precious! We have a present for this absolutely precious little thing! Knoxy, be a dear, and unwrap the baby's present."

Mr. Knox started to unwrap the box. Lady Baden-Baden started digging through her purse, and unearthed a smaller box, wrapped in blue paper and tied with a blue ribbon.

"Oh, I almost forgot," she said, handing the box to Forest. "We mustn't forget the new big brother now, mustn't we?"

"Thanks!" Forest shouted, and he ripped the paper off of his present. He took the lid off the box and found a little toy car inside. By that time, Mr. Knox had finished unwrapping the big box. Inside of it was a huge teddy bear. It was bigger than both Forest and Evelyn put together. Cedric and Sophia didn't know what to make of it.

"Oh, uhh, gee, Lady Baden-Baden," Cedric stammered. "Really, you shouldn't have."

"Oh I know," Lady Baden-Baden said. "But I saw her picture in the paper, and I just couldn't resist getting a little something for this abso_lute_ly precious little angel!"

"And it's not every day there's a girl born to the Sneer family," Mr. Knox said. "Am I right, Mr. Sneer?"

"Yes, seems that Evelyn is the first girl born to the Sneers in . . . . ." Cyril said, stopping for a moment to think it over. "Hmm. Matter of fact, I don't think there _have_ been any girls born to the Sneers. Evelyn's the first in history!"

"Well, me must be off now," Lady Baden-Baden said. "Really, we must do this again sometime."

And with that, Lady Baden-Baden and Mr. Knox left. Cyril, Cedric, and Sophia merely stared at the giant teddy bear. So did Forest. Then he looked at his new toy car, and made a face. Compared to the bear, it seemed extremely small. Shouldn't the bigger kid get the bigger present? After a few moments, Cyril called in the Pigs.

"All right, you useless hunks of lard," he said. "Get this bear upstairs to the baby's room, now!"

"He's gotta be kidding!" Lloyd said. "That thing's bigger than we are!"

"JUST DO IT!" Cyril screamed.

"Yes sir! Yes sir! Yes sir!" the Pigs shouted, and they started dragging the bear up to the nursery.

Evelyn began to cry just then, and Cedric, Sophia, and Cyril crowded around her to see what the matter was. Forest stood there. Then he went up to his room unnoticed.

"Evelyn gets all the attention," he said, pouting. "Evelyn gets all the presents. Everyone loves Evelyn. I hate Evelyn!"

Forest threw his car at the wall, and then he threw himself on his bed and cried.


	6. Tantrums

A couple of months went by. Evelyn was no longer waking up the household at two in the morning. But she was getting tons of attention from everybody, and presents. Some of the visitors brought presents for Forest, but they were considerably smaller than the baby's. But what really bugged Forest was that Cedric and Sophia seemed to be devoting more time to the baby.

"Mommy," Forest said while Sophia was changing Evelyn. "Can you read me a story, please?"

"I'm sorry, Forest, I'm a little busy with your sister," Sophia said. "Maybe later."

"But that's what you said yesterday!"

"I'm sorry, sweetie, but Evelyn needs me right now."

Forest pouted and left the room. He went downstairs to Cyril's office. Cedric was working on the books.

"Daddy, read me a story!" he demanded.

"I can't right now, Forest," Cedric replied. "I'll read to you later, I promise."

"You promised twice already and you still haven't done it!"

"Listen, Forest, I'm just really busy right now. Why don't you go play, and I'll read to you later."

Forest groaned, and left. He found Cyril in his vault, enjoying his cash.

"Gampa, will you read me a story?" Forest asked.

"I don't have time for stories now, Forest," Cyril said. "Later."

"I _hate_ later!" Forest shouted, stomping upstairs to his room.

A week passed. Cedric and Sophia were still giving their attention to Evelyn. All Evelyn ever seemed to was cry. When she wasn't crying, she was sleeping, and when she wasn't sleeping, she was eating, and when she wasn't eating she was spitting up. Forest couldn't understand what was so great about her. One afternoon, the Pigs' mother arrived at the Sneer mansion.

"Surprise!" she shouted when the Pigs opened the door.

"Mom!" the Pigs shouted, and they ran outside to hug her.

"Good to see you, Mom!" Floyd shouted.

"Hi, Mrs. Pig!" Cedric shouted, coming into the front hall. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I just dropped by to see my boys," Mrs. Pig said. "I don't get the chance very often."

Cedric nodded, and let Mrs. Pig come inside. That night, Mrs. Pig cooked dinner for everybody.

"I haven't had a meal that good in ages," Cyril said.

"You certainly are a great cook, Mrs. Pig," Sophia said.

"Oh, it's nothing much," Mrs. Pig said. "What with Mr. Sneer running the business, and you with the children, Sophia, especially a new baby, I figured you don't get much of a chance to have a big, home-cooked meal often."

"We sure don't!" Lloyd shouted, piling some leftover potatoes on his plate.

"Oh, Lloyd, dear, don't fill up," Mrs. Pig said. "You'll never have room for dessert if you do. I made my special chocolate chip cookies."

"Oh goody, goody!" Floyd shouted. "Mom's special chocolate chip cookies!"

"I know my boys' favorite treats," Mrs. Pig said. "Cookies and brownies. Every night before bed, I would give my boys either a cookie or a brownie, and a glass of milk, and I'd tell them a bedtime story."

"Gee, I miss those days," Boyd sighed.

Mrs. Pig went into the kitchen and returned with a plate full of chocolate chip cookies. She handed one to Forest, and one to Evelyn.

"Here you are, dears," she said.

"But Evelyn doesn't have teeth," Forest said. "She can't eat cookies!"

"Sure she can," Cedric said. "Her teeth are growing in, and she needs things to chew on. So why not let her chew on a cookie?"

Forest glared at Evelyn, reached over, and ripped her cookie right out of her hands. In response, Evelyn wailed like a siren.

"Forest!" Sophia scolded, taking the cookie from Forest, and giving it back to Evelyn. "That wasn't nice! You have your own cookie."

Forest didn't say anything. He reached over, and grabbed the cookie away from his sister again. And again, Evelyn screamed.

"Forest, what's the matter with you?!" Sophia shouted, taking the cookie and giving it back to Evelyn. "Now if you do that one more time, you're going straight to the corner."

Forest pouted, and thought it over. Surely his mother was bluffing. So he reached over a third time, and grabbed the cookie away from his sister. And for a third time, Evelyn screamed.

"Forest!" Sophia shouted. She took Evelyn's cookie away from Forest, and handed it back to the baby. Then she took Forest's cookie, and put it on the plate Mrs. Pig brought out.

"I told you, Forest," she said, lifting Forest out of his booster seat, and she carried him out of the room. "I told you if you did that again, you were going to sit in the corner for four minutes."

"Four?" Forest asked. "But I used to sit in the corner for three minutes!"

"Yes, and when you were a naughty boy when you were two, you sat in the corner for two minutes. The older you get, the longer you have to sit in the corner when you're naughty."

"But Mommy . . . ."

"No buts, Forest. I gave you a chance."

"Can I still have my cookie?"

"No. Naughty little boys don't get cookies."

Sophia sat Forest down in what she, Cedric, Cyril, and the Pigs referred to as "The Time-Out Chair," which got it's name whenever Forest had broken a house rule and had to go on time-out. There was an egg timer sitting on the mantle that they used. Forest didn't know how to tell time, so Cedric or Sophia usually set the egg timer to whatever setting they felt was fair (usually they did it by Forest's age), and told Forest his time out would be over when he heard the bell. Sophia set the egg timer for four minutes, and left Forest alone in the corner. Forest just folded his arms across his chest, and pouted.

The next day, Cedric was rocking Evelyn and giving her a bottle when Forest came in.

"Daddy, play with me," he said.

"I can't right now, Forest," Cedric said. "I'm busy with your sister."

"But I'm bored and Gampa and the Pigs are working, and Mommy went out shopping with Auntie Melissa!"

"Forest, I'm busy with Evelyn. I just can't play with you right this second. I'll play with you later."

That did it. Forest threw himself on the floor, and began banging his fists, kicking his legs, and screaming his head off, throwing one heck of a temper tantrum.

"Forest," Cedric said. Forest didn't respond. He just continued his tantrum. His screaming caused Evelyn to start screaming. Cedric groaned, and put Evelyn in her crib.

"Forest Cyril Sneer, stop that right now!" he shouted. "Throwing a tantrum is not going to get you what you want. When you want something, you ask for it like a big boy, do you understand?"

"Yes," Forest said.

"Good."

And with that, Forest left the room, and Cedric went back to giving Evelyn her bottle. A couple of days later, Forest was laying on the floor in the playroom (another spare room of the mansion) on his stomach, coloring in a coloring book when Cyril passed by, and looked in. He saw a bunch of toys scattered all over the room.

"Forest, clean up this mess," he said. "I want this room clean."

"It is clean," Forest argued, not looking up.

"Are you kidding? It's a pig sty. There are toys all over the floor. Get up and clean it."

"I like it messy."

"Well, I don't! Now you start cleaning this room right now, or I'll give your backside a good blistering!"

Forest grumbled, took his coloring book and crayons, and put them away. Evelyn crawled into the room, and started to grab at the toys. She was pushing Forest's fire engine when he walked over and grabbed it from her.

"Mine!" he shouted, and he promptly stuck it in the toy box.

Evelyn looked a little surprised, but went for the next toy, which was a set of building blocks. Forest was busy putting away some cars and trucks. As soon as he got them into his toy box, he saw Evelyn with his blocks, and grabbed the two she was holding out of her hands, and then gathered up the rest of them.

"Mine!" he shouted again, and dumped them in the toy box.

This didn't seem to phase Evelyn. She just crawled along until she got to Forest's train. Forest picked it up, and hugged it to his chest.

"Mine!" he shouted once more. Pretty soon, he had taken every single thing away from Evelyn and dumped it in his toy box. He shut the lid, and sat on it.

"Mine, mine, mine!" he shouted at her.

Forest smiled. He figured he had kept all his toys safe from Evelyn, but there was one he overlooked, and Evelyn made a beeline for it. It was Harvey, Forest's favorite stuffed toy. The stuffed aardvark Auntie Melissa had made especially for him. Evelyn picked it up, stuck the foot in her mouth, and began chewing on it. Forest was seeing red by this point. He jumped off his toy box, ran over to his sister, and grabbed Harvey away from her.

"Mine!" he shouted. But Evelyn wasn't done with it yet, and she grabbed Harvey's leg and pulled. Forest pulled back.

"_MINE!_" he screamed at the top of his voice.

"What's going on in here?" Sophia asked, as she and Cedric came into the playroom.

Before anything could happen, Forest wrenched Harvey out of Evelyn's hands, and smacked her as hard as he possible could on her back. Evelyn looked a bit surprised. Then, her face crumbled, and she let out the loudest wail imaginable. Cedric and Sophia ran in, and they were not very happy.

"Forest!" Cedric shouted. "You know better than to hit your sister! You know hitting is not allowed!"

"But she took Harvey!" Forest whined. "And she took my toys, too!"

"That does not excuse you from hitting your sister," Sophia said. "You apologize right now!"

"No!" Forest shouted, crossing his arms, and stomping his foot.

"Forest, you apologize to your sister this instant," Cedric said.

"No!" Forest yelled again. "She's a stupid baby, and I'm not sorry!"

"Forest, I'm giving you one more chance," Cedric said, his patience growing thin. "Apologize to Evelyn right now, or no chocolate pudding tonight!"

Forest glared at Cedric, and walked over to Sophia, who was comforting Evelyn. Sophia put the baby on the floor, and Forest looked up at his mother.

"Well, go on," she said.

Forest just looked at Evelyn. Evelyn looked at Forest, and grabbed Harvey right out of his hands, and began chewing on him. Forest grabbed the toy back, and smacked his sister once more. Of course, Evelyn started screaming.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid baby!" Forest yelled, actually hitting her with his stuffed aardvark. "I hate you!" That only caused Evelyn to cry harder.

"Forest!" Sophia shouted. "Forest Cyril Sneer, you apologize _right now_!"

"No, I'm not _gonna_ apologize!" Forest yelled. "She's stupid and I'm not sorry, and I hate her!"

"Forest, go to your room," Cedric said.

"No!" Forest shouted, stomping his foot once more.

"Forest, you're starting to push it," Cedric said. "I want you in your room by the time I count to ten. One, two, three . . . ."

Forest sat down on the floor, and pouted. He wasn't going to move one inch.

"Four, five, six . . . ." Cedric continued counting. Forest just sat there, and glared at both Cedric and Sophia.

"Seven, eight, nine," Cedric said. "Nine and a half . . . . nine and three quarters . . . . I mean business, Forest."

Forest did not move one muscle. Cedric heaved a sigh.

"Ten," he finished his count, picked up Forest, and began carrying him out of the playroom. "Okay, if you want to do it the hard way, we'll do it the hard way. You're going to your room whether you like it or not."

"I don't _wanna_ go to my room!" Forest whined. "Evelyn started it! She was playing with _my_ toys!"

"I don't care, Forest. You hit your sister and hitting is not allowed in this house."

"But Gampa hits the Pigs all the time!"

"Grandpa doesn't have to follow my rules or Mommy's rules. But _you_ do. You are not allowed to hit _any_one! And just for that, no chocolate pudding for the rest of the week, and you can stay here in your room."

"For how long?"

"Until you're ready to act like a big boy and apologize to your sister."

"But Daddy . . . . ."

"Don't but Daddy me, Forest. Mommy and I gave you a chance to apologize, and you blew it."

Cedric closed the door, and started to go downstairs. Forest then began screaming and hollering at the top of his lungs. He threw himself on the floor, and began kicking his legs and banging his fists. Cedric groaned, called up to Forest.

"Throwing a tantrum won't do you any good, Forest!" he shouted. "The punishment still stands!"

Forest just began yelling louder. Cedric could hear Evelyn wailing from the nursery. Sophia came down and sat next to Cedric on the couch. Both of them looked exhausted. From another part of the mansion, they could hear Snag starting to howl.

"What in blue blazes is going on here?!" Cyril yelled, storming out of his office. "Can't a man get any work done?!"

"Sorry, Pop," Cedric sighed. "Forest is being difficult."

"What that boy needs is a good spanking," Cyril said.

"They'll stop screaming after awhile, Pop," Cedric sighed.

"They'd better," Cyril grumbled, and went back to his office to work.

The phone rang just then. Cedric sighed, and picked it up.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Hey Cedric, it's me!" Bert shouted. "Listen, how about you and me and Forest go out to the park and throw the ol' baseball around?"

"Today's not a good day, Bert. I'm really frazzled, and Forest is on punishment."

"Uh oh, what happened?"

Cedric sighed, and explained what had been going on, from Mrs. Pig's visit, to this most recent incident.

"That doesn't sound like Forest," Bert said. "Listen, Cedric, can I come over? I think I know exactly what will help Forest."

"I guess so, Bert," Cedric sighed. "At this point, I'm willing to try anything."

"Great. Let me call someone, and we'll be over there in fifteen minutes!"

Cedric said goodbye, and hung up the phone. He wasn't sure what Bert had up his sleeve, but he was willing to take a chance.


	7. A Talk With Lisa

Exactly fifteen minutes later, the doorbell rang. Cedric answered it, and there were Bert and Lisa standing there.

"Hi Bert, hi Lisa," Cedric said. "Boy, am I glad you guys are here!"

"Bert told me what was going on around here," Lisa said. "He figured I'd be able to help. We'll straighten Forest out for you."

"Thanks, guys," Cedric said. "I just don't know what to do anymore."

Cedric led Bert and Lisa upstairs to Forest's room. He had stopped throwing his tantrum, and was now sitting on his bed, sniffling.

"Forest, Uncle Bert and Auntie Lisa are here to talk to you," Cedric said.

"I don't wanna apologize," Forest whined. "I still hate Evelyn."

"It's worse than I thought," Lisa said. "Don't worry, Cedric. We'll take care of it."

Cedric nodded and left. Bert and Lisa came in and sat down on the bed, on either side of Forest. Forest sniffled, and wiped his eyes with his fist.

"Hey, come on, little buddy," Bert said, putting his arm around Forest's shoulders. "It's okay. Everything's gonna be all right. Why don't you tell your ol' buddy Bert what the problem is."

"Mommy and Daddy don't like me no more," Forest said. He let out a sob, and began crying all over again.

"Oh, Forest, that's not true," Lisa said, putting her hand on Forest's shoulder. "Your mom and dad love you very, very much."

"No they don't!" Forest cried. "All they ever do is talk about Evelyn, and pay attention to Evelyn, and play with Evelyn, and do everything with Evelyn. They don't read me stories anymore, and they don't play with me anymore, and they say they're gonna do it later, and then it's later, and they never do it. And Gampa said there's no room for both of us. They don't like me no more!"

"Aw, Forest," Bert said, giving Forest's shoulders a squeeze. "Come on, don't cry. Babies need a lot of attention. They can't do anything for themselves."

"But it's not fair!" Forest wailed.

"I know it doesn't seem like it's fair," Lisa said, pulling Forest into her lap. She began rocking him back and forth. "And I know it seems like your parents don't have time for you anymore. I know just how you feel, Forest."

"You do?" Forest sniffled, and looked up at Lisa.

"I sure do," Lisa replied, as she continued rocking Forest. "I felt the same way you did when Bentley was born. My dad took my mom to the hospital, and my grandmother came over to take care of me while my mom had Bentley. At first, I was excited to have a baby brother, but then, I noticed that Mom and Dad were always busy with Bentley, and he got all the attention and all the presents. And all anyone ever talked to me about was Bentley. They would say things like, 'oh isn't your little brother just adorable?' or 'you must be so proud to be the big sister of such a darling baby.' I felt if someone said how cute Bentley was one more time, I was going to throw up. I didn't think Mom and Dad loved me anymore."

"Do you hate Uncle Bentley, Auntie Lisa?"

"Well, no. I thought I did, but I just hated that he got all the attention. And all the presents. Being a big sister or a big brother isn't easy. I went through just what you're going through, Forest. I threw about ten tantrums a day. It got me attention, but not the attention I wanted. Finally, my grandmother talked to me about it. She said that Mom and Dad still loved me, and they always will love me, no matter what. Then she said that I should talk to them myself, so I did. And you know what?"

"What?"

"Mom and Dad said that they still loved me and they always would love me, no matter how many kids they have. They had enough love in their hearts for both me and Bentley. There was plenty of room for both of us in their hearts. Then, they said they would set a special time for me to be with them, with no interruptions at all. And I felt a lot better. And there's enough room in your mom and dad's hearts for both you and your sister. Now, don't you think you should talk to your mom and dad about how you've been feeling instead of throwing these tantrums?"

"But, what if they really _don't_ like me no more?"

"You'll never know unless you try."

Forest thought it over. He sniffled, and then nodded his head.

"Kay," he said.

"Okay," Lisa replied, patting Forest's back. "Bert, go get Cedric and Sophia for me, would you?"

"You got it," Bert said, and he got up and left the room. Forest staid on Lisa's lap for the time being, thinking it over. Bert returned a few minutes later with Cedric and Sophia, but Forest found he couldn't start the conversation. Lisa saw this, and decided to get the ball rolling.

"Cedric, Sophia," she said. "Forest has something he wants to tell you."

"What is it, Forest?" Sophia asked.

"Go on, Forest," Bert said. "Tell your mom and dad what you told us. They'll listen."

"Sure we will, Forest," Cedric said. "You know you can tell us anything."

Forest looked up at Cedric, suddenly burst into tears, and leaned against Lisa.

"Forest, sweetie, what's the matter?" Sophia asked.

"You . . . . you don't like me no more!" Forest wailed, unable to control himself. "All you ever do is talk about stupid old Evelyn! You don't pay attention to me! And . . . and Gampa said there wasn't enough room for both of us, and . . . . and . . . ."

Forest found he couldn't go on. He began to cry hysterically just then.

"Is that was this is all about?" Cedric asked. He took Forest from Lisa, and gave him the biggest hug he could muster, and began stroking his hair. "Oh, Forest, why didn't you tell us?"

"You were always so busy with Evelyn," Forest said, sniffling. "I thought you wouldn't listen, or tell me to come back later or something."

"Oh, Forest, I know we've been busy with the new baby," Sophia said, wiping away Forest's tears. "But that doesn't mean we don't love you, too."

"It doesn't?" Forest asked, sniffling.

"That's right," Cedric said. "We love you very much, Forest. And we always will love you, and Evelyn, no matter what. We've been spending so much time with her because babies need a lot of attention. But we didn't mean to ignore you."

"Really?" Forest asked.

"Really," Sophia said. "And we're very sorry we haven't been giving you enough attention. And there _is_ room for both you and your sister. There's always room for both of you."

"Forest, I have an idea," Cedric said. "Every day, Mommy and I will each set aside some special time just for you, and we'll do whatever you want, and they'll be no interruptions. Would you like that?"

"Yeah!" Forest shouted, hugging Cedric around the neck. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you, too, Forest," Cedric replied. Forest then looked over at Sophia, and reached his arms out to her. Sophia took him in her arms and gave him a big hug and a big kiss.

"I love you, Mommy," Forest said.

"I love you, too, Forest," Sophia said. "I love you so much!"

Lisa watched, and smiled, feeling a bit misty eyed. Then she sighed.

"It sort of gets to you, doesn't it Bert?" she asked. She didn't get a response. "Bert? Bert!"

Lisa glanced over at Bert, and saw that he was bawling over the scene.

"Sorry, Lisa," he sniffled. "But these touching family moments always make me cry!"

Bert pulled out his handkerchief and blew his nose into it, resulting in a honk that sounded like a dying goose. Lisa rolled her eyes and groaned. Cedric then turned to Bert and Lisa.

"Would you two mind staying here and keeping an eye on Evelyn?" he asked. "Sophia and I are going to take Forest out for some ice cream."

"Really?" Forest asked.

"Yes, we think you've been punished enough," Sophia said. "As of now, your punishment is over."

"Yaaayyy!" Forest cheered.

"See, what did I tell you?" Lisa said.

"Thanks, Auntie Lisa," Forest said, giving her a hug.

"And don't worry about Evelyn, you guys," Bert said. "We'll be glad to take care of her while you spend some time with Forest, right Lisa?"

"Right," Lisa said. "No problem at all."

"Great, thanks," Cedric said. He, Sophia, and Forest then left. It finally looked like things were going to get back to normal.


	8. Enough Love to Go Around

For about a week after Lisa had her talk with Forest, things were running smoothly around the Sneer mansion. Cedric and Sophia each devoted one hour to Forest every day, and they even let him help with the baby sometimes. One day, the family got all dressed up so they could take the "Annual Sneer Family Portrait." They did this every year. Cedric and Sophia started the tradition when Forest had been born. Cyril was not too crazy about doing this, but he humored Cedric. At least he didn't have to pay for it, as Melissa always took the family photo.

"Okay, here's what I think we should do," Melissa said. "I think Cyril should sit in the front with both Forest and Evelyn on his lap, and Cedric and Sophia, you stand behind them."

"I've told you raccoons before," Cyril said. "There isn't enough room for both the kids on my lap. It has to be one or the other!"

"Wait a minute, Gampa," Forest said. "I think I know what to do!"

Forest climbed up on Cyril's lap, scooted over, and positioned himself on one of Cyril's legs. This left Cyril's other leg completely free, and there was plenty of room for Evelyn.

"See, Gampa?" he asked. "Now there's room for both me and Evelyn." Forest smiled, and then looked at Cedric and Sophia.

"There's always room for both of us," he said.

"That's right, Forest," Cedric said, tussling Forest's hair.

"Oh all right, all right," Cyril said. "Let's just get this show on the road."

"That's the spirit, Cyril," Melissa said, rolling her eyes.

Cedric laughed, and placed Evelyn on Cyril's lap. Cyril wrapped one arm around her, and the other around Forest, so neither of them would fall off. Cedric and Sophia then stood behind the chair, and got into position.

"We're ready Melissa," Cedric said.

"Okay, everybody!" Melissa said. "Smile!"

The group smiled (or at least Cedric, Sophia, and the kids smiled), and Melissa took the photo. Melissa decided to take another photo, but just of Cyril and the kids. She got it, and it ended up on the front page of the Evergreen Standard.

"This is a really great photo, Pop," Cedric said, as he saw the paper. "This is the best photo I've ever seen of you."

"I just hope it doesn't make me look too soft," Cyril said. "Or too old."

"Gampa!" Forest shouted, coming into the room. Evelyn was crawling in after him.

"What is it, Forest?" Cyril asked.

"I want you to tell me and Evelyn a story!" Forest shouted, pulling on Cyril's hand. "Please, please, please?"

"Oh all right," Cyril said, picking up both his grandchildren. "I'll tell you about King Midas and his golden touch."

Cyril left the room with the kids, telling them the story. Cedric and Sophia looked at each other and laughed. It looked like things were going to run a lot smoothly from that point on.

The End


End file.
